Review: DRIVING MISS DAISY DVD Starring Lanbury, Jones is a Truly 'Great Performance'

As popular culture continues to be fractured with the advent of new forms of media and even more forms of delivery, it is good to know that there are still some institutions that you can continue to count on for quality entertainment. The newest DVD release from PBS Distribution brings three hallowed artistic institutions together for just that purpose. Five-time Tony-winner Angela Lansbury, two-time Tony-winner James Earl Jones, and Emmy and Peabody winning series GREAT PERFORMANCES unite for a disarmingly sweet production of Alfred Uhry's Pulitzer-Prize winning play DRIVING MISS DAISY.

The DVD preserves a 2013 Australian production of the play that features David Esbjornson's direction, which was first seen in Broadway's 2010 revival, featuring Jones, four-time Tony-winner Boyd Gaines (who also stars in the Australian version), and Tony-winner Vanessa Redgrave.

After his mother, Daisy (Lansbury), is in a car accident, Atlanta businessman Boolie Werthan (Gaines) hires Hoke Colburn (Jones) to be her chauffeur, against her strong objections. While the elderly, but fiercely independent, Jewish widow resents having someone else to drive her around, over time, the two develop an unusually sweet relationship. From 1948 to 1973, the African-American Hoke and Miss Daisy grow from employer and employee to become genuine friends, and help expose each other to realities of the world that they might not have otherwise seen.

As would be expected from a cast as revered and decorated as this, the performances are uniformly stirring, even if Jones has a tendency to overplay some of the comedy's lighter moments. Despite both being well into their 80s at the time of the performances, Lansbury and Jones are both in full control of their artistic capacities, both being able to communicate more depth and emotion with a single look than many actors are with pages

and pages of monologues. Similarly, Gaines is very funny, especially considering that in many ways, he is the only "adult" in the show. While certainly Daisy and Hoke are Boolie's elders, as son and employer, he does as much to help them appreciate and learn from each other as anyone.

While the story highlights the social tumult and change that Atlanta, and the nation, faced during those decades, it is always framed by how these two uniquely different characters are individually impacted, and how they help each other understand and deal with these specific difficult moments. DRIVING MISS DAISY demonstrates just how educational and transformative embracing diversity can be, no matter how late in life.

While the Academy Award-winning 1989 film starring Jessica Tandy, Morgan Freeman, and Dan Aykroyd is certainly a classic, being able to see this story on stage, as it was originally intended, is exciting; especially with the clever design by Esbjornson's team; John Lee Beaty (Scenic Design), Peter Kaczorowski (Lighting Design), and Wendall K. Harrington (Projection Design).

This DVD is a must-own for anyone who loves both "great performances" and GREAT PERFORMANCES. You can purchase the DVD at ShopPBS.org.

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Check out the trailer from DRIVING MISS DAISY's theatrical release:

DRIVING MISS DAISY starring Angela Lansbury, James Earl Jones, and Boyd Gaines is available now available on DVD from PBS Distribution and can be found on ShopPBS.org, and whereever DVDs are sold.

Did you take a trip to Atlanta to visit Hoke and Miss Daisy? Let me know what you thought in the comments below, or on Twitter @BWWMatt. If you want to follow along with my "366 in 366" articles, you can check out #BWW366in366 on Twitter. Also, make sure to follow @BWWMoviesWorld on Twitter for all of the biggest news from the world of movies.

Photo credit: PBS Distribution

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